The Queen's Hand
by yamada michiko
Summary: Because getting married is a big step, even for Mashima Taichi and Ayase Chihaya. It also meant having to deal with 'Mrs. Pressure' and Ayase Kenji, and they would find out first hand how the Queen of Karuta's father will react. Oneshot.


_**Yo, folks.**_

_**So it's been quite a long time since I actually decided to post a new fic. Work is **_**literally**_** killing me, and on top of that, the way the manga had been going had quite affected my motivation to write. Ugh. I'm not sure if anyone is still around, I sure hope my favorite readers are still here.**_

_**But anyway, I am celebrating my first year in this fandom! As a celebration, I'm posting a fic, though it's only a one-shot. Takes place during my Red Threads of Destiny fic, sort of like a bonus chapter.**_

**Disclaimer: All credits go to the author, Suetsugu Yuki-sensei of course. :)**

* * *

**The Queen's Hand**

* * *

Ayase Chihaya is a feisty woman.

Well, that might be too broad a description, but there was no denying that she isn't one to back down easily. She may lose her nerve from time to time, but she had always found a way to work around it. Eventually, she would find her resolve and continue to go on and fight, to continue working towards her goal. She knew that she couldn't become Queen of Karuta if she allowed her nerves to get the better of her, because hell, earning that title hadn't been exactly a stroll in the park.

She could be even considered a survivor. She had survived the worst of heartbreaks, courtesy of the man who had once been her counterpart – the Meijin, a title given to the strongest male player of karuta, - and who had once been the foundation of her dream. It wasn't easy trying to pick up the pieces of her heart which he had scattered everywhere when he had decided to bail out on her on their wedding preparations.

That was over though, another history to add to her life. She had long gotten over it, and had already forgiven the guy. She isn't one to hold grudges, and honestly, if he hadn't done so, she wouldn't have been able to realize that she was actually head-over-heels for someone else.

No, she isn't one to scare easily, not one to cower in the face of a challenge.

Unfortunately, that hard-earned attitude was being tested right now – by the person she was _least_ expecting to, - doctor-turned-celebrity Mashima Taichi, her childhood friend and sweetheart and – her fiancé.

In other words, her husband-to-be.

"I… don't think that's a good idea right now."

The man in question gave her a serious, though amused, amber-eyed stare. She was fidgeting in her seat, - an action that was certainly not characteristic of her, and she looked terribly cute. They were sitting opposite each other under a shade of a huge Maple tree situated in their old high school's grounds, just enjoying a lunch date courtesy of Chihaya and her bentos which she had packed for the both of them. She was already getting better with her cooking, and he was looking forward to spending his meal times with her, especially now that they had a rare week of both having free periods after lunch.

He speared a tempura with his chopsticks. "Are you bailing out on me?" He asked teasingly, which made her cheeks turn redder than an apple, immediately making her look even more irresistible to him.

"N-No! Of course not, you baka." She hissed as he chuckled, and she carelessly popped a slice of her own tempura into her mouth. "I just don't think we should… I mean, we should… well, do it now."

He nodded, though his expression was turning serious. "And when exactly do you want to let our parents know about this?"

"How about next year?" She muttered in a half-exasperated, half-joking tone.

Taichi's sigh told her that he didn't find her joke amusing. "Are you trying to be funny or what?" He asked in a more-than-exasperated tone, gazing at her with a frustrated stare.

Chihaya shook her head, putting down her chopsticks. She was proud to say that her cooking was delicious, but honestly, the food she had prepared started to look uninviting to her, and her appetite was diminishing, which was really rare and happens once in a blue moon. "Sorry. I wasn't trying to make fun of this conversation. Or you. But I…" here she swallowed unconsciously to herself, "I just don't think that really is a good idea now."

"How so then?" He asked, watching her avert her auburn eyes from him as she sighed a shaky breath out.

"Do I have to list it out?" She shot back after a minute. Seeing his expression, she rolled her eyes. "Okay, then let me do the honors. First, your mother, Mrs. Mashima." She began, at which his lips twitched, like he was fighting a smile or a snarky response, both of which she couldn't care less about for now. "She hates me, and that's not exactly a secret to the both of us."

"My mother doesn't hate you."

"Yes she does. You really should learn how to read a woman."

"I do know how to read a woman, because let's not forget, this is my mother we are talking about." Taichi remarked amusedly, much to her annoyance. "And she doesn't hate you, that much I am actually sure of. I know you don't feel at ease around her, but she's still my mother, and I don't want her to catch wind of this through rumors or something. Besides, we're already adults, it's not like we'll still need permission from her. I just want to let her know that I know what I'm doing, and that I'm serious about you." He sipped his iced tea carefully as he said so, still keeping an eye on her reaction.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't know if I should be happy with the bit about your mother." She then decided to ignore it, though the last phrase from him set the butterflies in her stomach fluttering. Damn him and his amazing ability to catch her off-guard. "A-Anyway, let me finish will you? Second reason is, I feel that it's a bit… sudden."

This is getting confusing, even for a brainiac like him. "Sudden in what sense?"

"Well, you have to admit it's a bit sudden, like we were together for just a few months and then now we're actually-"

He slapped a palm over his forehead. "Could you call a romance story nineteen years in the making _sudden_? What were you thinking when you actually said yes to me then?"

Chihaya was starting to get annoyed with the constant rebuttal from his part. "That I was so freaking in love with you, and that I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Taichi stared at her, confusion diminishing from his handsome features and understanding dawning on his face. "You know I feel the same for you, Chihaya."

This made the stern expression on her face vanish, and she reddened once again. Though she was starting to get used to the idea that they were now together, - she was about to be married to him for crying out loud, - he had his own way of making her lose her tongue and derailing her thought processes, scattering those uselessly into the wind.

He reached his hand across the table to take her left hand into his, her engagement ring sitting proudly on her ring finger, the three stones glinting innocently in the sunlight filtering through the canopy of the leaves they were sitting under. She didn't even try to wring her grip from him, as she looked down to their hands intertwined. There was a sense of security that came whenever Taichi held her hand like this, and she just wanted to bask in it, as it wasn't often that she and Taichi could spend time together like this.

"Chihaya, we're engaged for a month now." He said gently, willing her to meet his eyes. "Our parents had to know – your parents have the right to know all the more, that one of these days you will no longer be just Ayase Chihaya, but also Mashima Chihaya." He added, still in a gentle tone as her cheeks turned even redder. "I wanted to ask for your father's formal blessing. It's the least I can do after he trusted me to watch over you the past year." He muttered seriously, searching her eyes for any argument.

She looked at him, auburn eyes softening a little bit before sighing, albeit more worriedly than he ever wanted to see from her. "I'm worried about Otousan, you know. That's the third reason why I'm so nervous."

He leaned back, hand still intertwined in hers. "Jiisan?"

"You know what he almost did to Arata when he… well, when he cancelled out, right?" She sighed, as Taichi's lips curled into a smirk. "I-It isn't funny! You know how I had to keep an eye on him for a few days just to make sure he wouldn't try to ambush Arata and wring his neck?"

"You know when I was more than willing to help him that time? You have to admit, Arata had been a world-class jerk." He muttered, still smirking amusedly. "Revenge sure is sweet." He added jokingly, lightly chuckling to himself.

She rolled her eyes. "I don't know how you got your revenge, and I don't think I want to find out."

"I made him lose a few teeth."

"S-Shut up. I don't believe you."

"Suit yourself. Maybe it's better if you really don't want to believe it." He was still smirking, that snarky smirk which made tingles shoot up and down her spine at the sight of it, because whenever he had it on, it all felt as if knew something which she actually didn't.

She stared at him, wondering if what he was saying really is the truth. It seems she will have to ask Arata. "A-Anyway, that's not the point. I'm worried about his reaction. It's more likely he will chain you up in our house or something and keep you under observation in a few days."

Taichi had to laugh. "You're exaggerating."

"I'm not." She mumbled, and when he just rolled his eyes, she sighed. "Okay, so maybe I am. But once he learns of this… that I had actually gotten engaged again…"

"You sure you're not bailing out on me?" He clarified in a joking tone again, hearing the note of uncertainty and fear in her voice.

She reached over and smacked him on the forehead, making him yelp. "I do not regret getting engaged to you, if that's what you're trying to ask. I did tell you that I love you. I'm just… worried how my father will react."

Taichi rubbed his forehead, his expression thoughtful. "I do understand what you're getting at. And why your father has become overprotective. I mean, if I had a daughter who had once gotten engaged and had her heart broken, I'll kill the guy and definitely become overbearingly protective the next years, no matter if she'll hate me. However," here he looked at her, his expression once again serious, "it is all the more reason why we should tell him. I love you, and you did say you feel the same, and because I respect 'Jiisan and your family, I want to let them know. I don't want to whisk you off to Vegas and wring out an 'I do' from you there without letting them know."

Chihaya's cheeks flushed as he chuckled, rubbing her cheek with his free hand. "That's a shotgun wedding you're asking for." She responded in a small voice, raising her free hand, her fingers curling around his which was stroking her cheek.

"Exactly. Which is the reason why I want to let our folks know about this. The last thing I wanted was to make your father think I was just messing around with his daughter, because I most definitely am not doing that. I love her, and I certainly am not idiot enough to actually take after Wataya." He said, more serious now, amber eyes boring into hers as she met his gaze, unwilling to back down from his stare.

She then sighed, unable to keep on denying him. "I… I'm… oh fine. Tell them."

He laughed, wanting to kiss her right there and then, but then he recalled that they were actually in public, and that they were being thrown different looks from students who were eating near them every now and then. Not exactly a good place to go into PDA mode. He contented himself with kissing her hand.

"Thank you. It means so much to me." His lips wore a huge grin, which was probably enough to power up the whole neighborhood in her opinion.

She couldn't help but smile as well, seeing him happy, even though the prospect of facing their parents was slowly flensing away at her go-for-it attitude in life. "When are you planning for it then?"

He was still grinning, and she knew she was in for it when it morphed into an evil smirk.

"How does tonight sound?"

She dropped her chopsticks.

"W-What!?"

* * *

Thankfully, her mischievous fiancé was just kidding, but it was Saturday that week when she and Taichi went to his parents' manor house to, in his own words, give his folks a 'heads-up'.

Chihaya had known Mrs. Mashima her entire life. Having practically grown up with her husband-to-be, she was bound to see her from time to time, and she knew that she was one of the women who actually had a place in Japan's high society. It didn't help that she was strict with her son, which was the reason why Chihaya had called her 'Mrs. Pressure' in the first place. Just making her aware that she was dating her son was more akin to facing a battalion of a king and telling him that she was conquering his kingdom. She didn't want to think how she would take the fact that she was going to become a Mashima as well anytime soon.

Okay, so again she was exaggerating, but there was no denying that Mrs. Mashima was as scary as ever. Though she had grown up and had learned to accept that Mrs. Mashima may not _ever_ like her, she still loved her son, and she recognized that this woman was responsible for bringing him into the world in the first place.

The Mashima family living room felt stifling to her, despite of the high-domed ceiling and air-conditioner on. Her palms were beginning to be sweaty, and her hands, which were folded on her lap, were shaking quietly. She and Taichi had long ago removed their coats and were actually facing his parents and sister, him and Chihaya side by side on the love seat, two cups of tea sitting in front of them.

Taichi glanced at her sideways as his parents took the time to slowly digest the information they had just shoved into their heads, and he took her hands into his. She was grateful for him trying to calm her nerves down, and just knowing that he was there was enough for her.

"Are you sure about this, son?" She heard his father ask, and she practically stiffened in her seat. Taichi felt this, and he held her hands more firmly in his grip, reminding her quietly to calm down, and that he was there for her.

He turned back to him. "Yes, father. Like you," he gestured quite playfully to his silent mother, who, Chihaya couldn't help but think, was silently fuming in her seat, "I did find the woman I am willing to spend the rest of my life with."

His father, who looked much like an older version of him, sighed and then smiled. "I guess we have nothing to worry about then. This is wonderful news, Reiko."

"I think so." His mother responded quietly, making Chihaya flinch. "Though this was most… unexpected. I would have appreciated it if you had told us this a month ago."

"Reiko…" Her husband said uneasily in warning, but Taichi wasted no time in responding to her.

"I don't really think it matters, mom, since we are telling you now." He gripped Chihaya's hand, rubbing his thumb on the back of her hand, an unconscious gesture of his.

Chihaya then made up her mind in that moment, and she stood up, bowing low to his parents that he stood up as well, catching him off-guard. "I-I will take care of your son, Mrs. Mashima. Rest assured he will be in the best of care. I-I can't promise to be the perfect wife, but I love him and will continue to love him, and I will prove that I am deserving of your son's affections." She said, still bowing low.

He saw his younger sister nod approvingly to one side, and his father smile in content. His mother looked utterly derailed, as if she couldn't believe that Chihaya would even do such a thing.

"N-No need to do that, Chihaya-chan. All I ask is that you take care of my son." She said, her tone a bit uncomfortable as she looked on to his wife-to-be with appraising eyes, as if this was the first time she was seeing her.

Chihaya then straightened up, meeting the dragon lady's eyes. "I will, Mrs. Mashima."

His sister then smiled at her. "Well then, I guess, welcome to the family, Chihaya-neechan. Please take care of me as your younger sister." She said, grinning widely at her future sister-in-law.

"Of course, Rika-chan." She murmured in response, as Taichi wrapped an arm around her waist, smiling down to her proudly.

"This merits a celebration, Taichi. Chihaya-chan, will you mind staying for lunch?" His father had already stood up, gesturing to his wife to do the same.

"I-I will, Mr. Mashima." Chihaya murmured, flushing a little bit as Taichi dropped a kiss on her hair.

The older man shook his head. "It's 'dad', Chihaya-chan. You're already a part of this family, are you not?"

His fiancée reddened at her blunder. "Uh… yes, … dad. I'm sorry."

And as they started discussing what they should actually be having for lunch, Taichi laughed at something which his father had said, and Chihaya caught his mother's eye.

In that split second, Mrs. Mashima smiled at her, catching her off-guard, because such a smile was a first, even for her. She looked happy, almost relieved, even. As she passed her, her future mother-in-law took hold of her arm gently and whispered two words which she never thought she would actually hear from her, before her face returned into the stern expression that Chihaya had been used to seeing on her fiancé's mother's face ever since she had been a kid.

_Thank you._

And such two, small words had never made Chihaya so happy before.

* * *

So they had scaled Taichi's parents. Now it was her turn to let her parents know – her father, in particular.

"I still can't believe how readily they accepted me." Chihaya murmured quietly, referring to the Mashima family as Taichi drove to the direction of her parents' house.

"They were relieved." Taichi responded, sounding quite distracted with the sensation of her hand in his, which Chihaya mistook as nerves for the impending meeting with her parents. She had been playing with his left hand, her engagement ring catching her attention again which made her even more nervous than she already is, "They were glad that I finally decided to marry."

"Relieved?" Chihaya thought back to the smile that Mrs. Mashima had bestowed her."Is that why your mother thanked me? I still find that quite hard to believe. Every time I was there in your home before she all but glared daggers at me that I started to be thankful that looks couldn't really kill." She pointed out, giving up on trying to bend his forefinger when he merely hissed in pain at her antics.

He looked at her, quite surprised himself to hear that his mother had actually thanked her. "She was glaring at you back then because she took to blaming you for my involvement with karuta. And I guess it was already kind of obvious, even to her then, of what I truly feel about you." He said matter-of-factly, making her flush. "She and dad had been pestering me for years to get married. They started worrying when I actually reached twenty-two without showing any telltale signs of having a girlfriend. Dad was worried I wouldn't be giving him any grandson or daughter soon, and she was worried that I was going to turn into a man who didn't care about starting a family, much less even try to find a girlfriend. And given that that was the first time I ever brought a girl home, you couldn't blame them for being relieved."

She felt nervous when she heard the word 'grandson'. "I hope your father isn't expecting any grandchildren so… soon."

Taichi chuckled, the sound deep and throaty. "No. I did warn him about that. He understands that we want to be ready, and that it's too soon for that. No pressure. Though I have to admit, the idea's enticing."

She swatted him on the arm in response as he laughed, and she sighed in relief, though her cheeks were still flushed. She and Taichi hadn't really gotten too intimate to that point. Best not to think about that now. "Your mother… what did she actually say about me?"

He stopped in front of the Ayase household, killing the engine and just staring ahead of him. "She said it's about time. I told you she's sort of figured it out. The two of us, I mean." Here he glanced at her. "She told me she was surprised that you have been with the megane-baka when it was obvious to her what was really happening, and that she could still forgive you for making me wait for so long. She didn't want to blame you for what actually happened a year ago."

Chihaya's cheeks paled a bit, as she realized that his mother was aware of the events in her life. Nothing really escapes Mrs. Pressure. She shouldn't have been surprised, given that she was quite well-known already. "I appreciate that."

He then leaned over and caught her lips in a kiss, making her feel light-headed. She didn't think she could ever get used to the effect of Taichi on her, but she relished every second of his lips on hers. They were soft and warm, and always carried a comforting sensation to her, much like his touches. The butterflies in her stomach seemed to be finally at ease, which were stirring nonstop earlier as they made their way to her parents' home.

And it would have been absolutely romantic hadn't her phone chosen the wrong time to ring.

She didn't want to break off the kiss if she could help it, but apparently, her fiancé had other ideas. He pressed a last kiss on her lips before pulling back. "You should get that. It might be important." His lips twitched into a grin seeing the expression on her face.

She sighed peevishly, making him snort in laughter as she took the phone from her purse and swiped the screen. As soon as she saw the message though, she dropped the phone and it would have fallen flat on the car's floor hadn't Taichi extended out a hand and caught it. Despite of the fact that he hardly finds the time to even practice his fiancée's sport, the man managed to maintain his excellent reflexes.

"What?" He asked, shaking his head when he saw that all the color had drained out of her face. He rubbed her cheek in comfort before deciding to read the message himself, as Chihaya had just gestured for him to read it.

It was a message from her mother.

_Chihaya? We can see Taichi-kun's car. Are you coming in?_

He whistled. "They're waiting for us. Let's go." He placed her phone back in her purse and looked at her expectantly.

Minutes passed, and the two of them were still in the car. Chihaya turned to look at him. "I thought we should go. Are you getting out or what?" She asked, sounding quite irritated, which Taichi guessed was because of her nerves.

He took a deep breath, held it in, then let it out in a small huff. "I am. When you finally decide to let go of my hand, I guess. I can't feel my fingers anymore."

She dropped his hand like a hot potato, cheeks flushed and obviously flustered. "Uh… sorry. I was… uh…"

He chuckled, finding her behavior amusing and even cuter on her. It wasn't often that he gets to see her flustered and nervous primarily because of him. "Chihaya. I told you everything will be fine. 'Jiisan will understand. Have faith will you?"

"You're overly optimistic. I honestly don't know where you're getting all of that." She muttered, auburn eyes wide with nervousness.

Taichi's shoulders shook with light laughter. "I don't think it's being optimistic. Out of the two of us, you _are _the optimist. I don't know how your father will react, or how he will take it." He reached out a hand and stroked her cheek, his thumb running down to her jaw. "What I do know is that I love you more than anything else in the world, and my feelings would never lose to anyone else's. Remember that, Chihaya."

Chihaya stared at him a minute longer, seeing nothing but determination and pure conviction in the golden-brown orbs of his. She sighed.

"Fine. Have it your way." She murmured, giving him a gentle but still nervous smile. "Shall we go then?"

Smiling widely at her, he leaned over and pecked her on the lips. "You're the best."

* * *

The ring felt a hundred pounds heavier on her ring finger as her mother and her older sister, Chitose, (who had also decided to come the moment she had learned that there would be something like a family meeting,) gave her embraces and kisses in congratulations.

"That's wonderful news!"

"Finally! We've waited quite a long time for this!"

Taichi thanked them graciously as her sister then excused herself to start preparing for dinner, and left her with her mother and father. Chieko had seated herself back down, her husband silent, probably still trying to digest the information her fiancé had just shoved in his face.

"Otousan…" her mother prodded her husband on, seeing him still keeping silent.

Taichi's expression was formal, with just a touch of hauteur in his features. "I understand that I've went with this quite the wrong way, Ayase-san." Chihaya flinched as if his words had been like a whip. Her father and Taichi had been quite close, due to the fact that her family knew him as her best friend. Taichi had taken to calling her father and mother 'Jiisan' and 'Baachan', and her father had been more than happy to have another man to talk to, given that the Ayase household were being run mostly by women. To hear him refer to her father formally, it served to drive the realization home that Taichi was serious with her, and that it was time to take their relationship up to a different level. "Traditionally, I should have asked you first. I mean no disrespect, but since Chihaya had already said yes and as I don't want to throw her choice into the backseat, I would like to ask for your blessing instead. I love her more than my own life, and – by some miracle – she feels the same way for me. Will you give us your blessing, Ayase-san?"

He sounded calm without being overly confident. Chihaya then realized that the confidence was indeed, coming from his feelings for her, feelings which had been there since their childhood. In that moment, Chihaya saw everything through his eyes, and that this news, this whole meeting, made perfect sense, seeming to be the most natural thing ever to occur in her life.

Then she saw how her father's eyes zeroed in on her ring which sat on left ring finger, her hand caught in her fiancé's firm but gentle grip. She had tried to actually hide it earlier, but the expression on his face was enough to make her behave.

Her father then suddenly straightened and stood up. The three of them watched him walk around the living room, Chihaya and her mother not hiding their confusion.

"O-Otousan?"

The only man in the Ayase household, (aside from her cousin, Keiichi-nii,) grabbed a coat hanging behind the door, then grabbed another one and tossed it to Taichi, who caught it reflexively.

"Will you take a walk with me, Taichi-kun?"

The blood from Chihaya's face drained downwards to her toes. "F-Father-"

But Taichi stopped her with a firm squeeze of her hand. "Of course." He then turned to Chihaya, squeezing her hand again in comfort. "Relax. I'll be right back." He said in a low voice just enough for her to hear, giving her another peck on the lips. Her father then turned his back from them, and he stood up, smiling at her mother and striding after her father as they both went out, slipping the coat on in his lean frame as they did so.

Her mother took her hands in reassurance. "Don't worry, Chihaya. I'm sure your father just wants to talk to him alone."

Chihaya wasn't so sure. "I sure hope so, mom."

* * *

The light autumn breeze bit at his cheeks as he and Chihaya's father stood by side by side on a bridge near the Ayase home, holding cans of beer in one hand, gazing out at the wide expanse of the river below them, it's waters glinting at the setting sun's light in the horizon. A beautiful view, Taichi mused lightly to himself.

"I've known it was coming." He heard his future father-in-law, (hopefully) say, "The moment she had decided to be with you, I've known one of these days that this was coming. Of course. I can't stop her from growing up forever."

He looked at the older man beside him. "'Jiisan…" He trailed off, unsure as to whether he should continue.

Chihaya's father fixed him with a steely gaze. He watched Chihaya's eyes stare at him straight, realizing that his fiancée had actually inherited her eyes from him. He felt as if he was still face to face with her. "My daughter, Chihaya… she's a good girl. She may act strange most of the time, and her head was full with her love of karuta, and her room is full of strange-looking bears, but she has a good heart. An honest, pure heart." Ayase Kenji stared into the horizon, "A heart… which had already endured more than it should have." His voice turned into pure steel.

"Ayase-san-"

"Mashima Taichi." He cut him off, and he straightened up. Ayase Kenji mostly is a kind man, someone who was easygoing most of the time, and Taichi had already realized long ago that someone shouldn't just mess with him, because ticking off a good-natured man was akin to awaking a sleeping dragon. He will _mean _business. "Wataya Arata had told me that he will care for my daughter as much as I have. And he had failed to see his decision through to the end. What did that do to my daughter?" He said in a hard voice reminiscent of a snarl. "You told me you loved her more than your own life. How was that so different from what Wataya had sworn to me?"

The brunette stood his ground. This wasn't the first time that he was challenged to prove himself whenever he had placed his heart on the line, and this isn't much of a difference. "Wataya Arata had made his mistakes."

The older man snorted, unimpressed, something which looked so out of place for such a good-natured person like him. "True."

Taichi took a sip from the can he was holding in his left hand. "And I have made my own fair share of mistakes. Like my relationship with your daughter, for instance."

His head whipped to his direction so fast that Taichi feared his soon-to-be father-in-law would suffer from a whiplash. "You-"

"Please let me finish, Ayase-san." Taichi muttered in a low voice, and the man was forced to let him continue. "You may find this hard to believe, but I have loved your daughter ever since I was, like, nine." He sighed, his breath misting in the air. It seems winter will be arriving earlier this year. "And I haven't done anything with it. I took the offer of a highly-known middle school far from the city because even as I was a kid, I already had an inkling that I would be in for the biggest suffering in my life. She felt something for that kid who had taught her karuta, and even if I knew I would miss her, I already believed that I shouldn't be by her side. I've already felt I wouldn't be able to keep up with her."

The man stayed silent, his expression showing that he was utterly surprised by his confession, and that his attention was mostly on him.

He looked up, seeing the few stars which were starting to appear in the darkening sky. "Being reunited with her in high school had never made me happier. But she remained as she was – in love with karuta, and probably with that man. I knew I was in for it the moment I admitted to myself that I loved her. That's the hardest part of admitting to yourself that you had feelings for that person, because once you did there would be no turning back. I'm sure you understand that, Ayase-san.

My first dose of mistake was that I had always let my cowardice get the better of me. I had always been insecure of that megane-baka, always thinking that he was the better man for her. I chose to love her in the shadows, to follow her in whichever place she will decide to take her dream. In a way I was sort of a masochist, even knowing she might never love me back, I was still there. But what can I do? I don't think I will ever love someone else again. Her grip on my heart was that strong, I couldn't shake myself from it. Believe me, I tried staying away from her, tried fighting my feelings, but as I watched her fight for her goals, fight for her dream, every single time I find myself falling for her all over again.

Flash forward to a year ago. She became engaged to that man. I never spoke up regarding my feelings for her; even when Arata was also aware of it. Perhaps that was what had also shaken him from his decision to marry her. He realized that he too, was a coward, or maybe something like that, I don't know. I wouldn't pretend to understand what he felt at the time. I was furious with him; how couldn't I be? He had broken her heart into pieces just like that, something which she had given to him whole. I was beyond mad.

Even if that was the perfect opportunity for me to step in, I still didn't. I didn't want to end up acting as the rebound, no matter how much I loved her. You could argue that it was selfish of me, but I didn't want to take advantage of her like that. I'm sure no father would be happy to see his daughter being messed with around as well." Here he finally paused to take a drink, meeting the older man's eyes. "Perhaps, if I had the courage to admit everything to her during our younger years, we could have avoided everything. I don't know. But if you're still doubting my feelings for your daughter, then what I have told you just now is useless, Ayase-san."

Silence.

His breath were already starting to form mists as he breathed in and out, trying to contain his emotions. He took large gulps of his beer, his fingers curling around the drink in a tight grip which made the can creak, breaking the silence sharply.

"Thank you, Taichi."

He turned to the older man, hearing the weariness in his voice. His thoughts were derailed though, seeing the wetness on the older man's cheeks, his sigh full of relief. "I apologize… for making you tell me that. I knew I went too far when I started comparing you to Wataya, but I just…"

"It's alright, 'Jiisan-"

"But as a father, I was scared for her. There was never a day which had gone by ever since Chihaya had her heart broken that I hadn't wondered to myself what it was that I did wrong. I don't want to see her like that again."

Taichi nodded, as the older man took his hand in his. "I know you are aware from the start that she was… strange. There was no other way to put it really, but she has karuta. Karuta, which will what she will always thrive on. Are you sure about marrying her, Taichi?"

Taichi gripped his hand with both of his own. "I have long accepted that karuta is her passion, and that she belongs to it, 'Jiisan. She wouldn't be Chihaya without her love for karuta. Who am I to take it away from her?" He took a deep breath. "I will support her as much as I can. I've done so in the past, I will do it again. Rest assured that I will do my best to be what a husband should be to her. All I ask is your support, and your blessing."

More tears fell from the man's eyes, as he patted him on the shoulder. "That is all I needed to hear. That is all I _wanted_ to hear. Please… please care for her well."

He nodded, gripping the man's hand even more tightly. "I will, 'Jiisan. I will."

"It's 'father', Taichi. You've asked to marry my daughter already did you not?"

Taichi chuckled. "I did, and I'm sorry. I will have to start getting used to it."

The two future in-laws then lifted their cans of beer in a toast to each other, having full understanding and confidence that finally, everything is falling to their proper places.

Her father secretly hoped he would be holding a grandchild soon in his arms.

* * *

She had been utterly confused when the two men had come home that night looking calm and exchanging stories. Taichi had kissed her on the forehead, but didn't tell her anything. Dinner then soon made way to them having a few drinks.

"O-Otousan!" She exclaimed, seeing her father drown what seemed to be his last glass of homemade sake which Taichi had actually brought. Her father was already red in the face, and was smiling serenely to himself.

"What did you do to him, Taichi?" She demanded of her fiancé, who held a small glass on one hand as well. She had to give him credit of being able to hold his liquor quite well. That was already the third bottle they have opened.

"I didn't do anything to him, Chihaya. He's just happy. Let's at least give him that." He responded, speech straight, calmly sipping his own drink. "Anyway," he gestured to her father, "I think I forgot something at the car. Be right back."

"O-Oi-"

He downed his drink in one gulp, grimaced when he felt the liquid graze his throat, stood up and dropped a kiss on her hair, striding out of their house immediately.

"Take care of him, Chihaya."

She turned to her father who had finally decided to speak to her for the first time that night. "Otousan-"

"I made quite the mistake of comparing him to Wataya. I shouldn't have done that." Her eyes widened, hearing her father talk like this was making her heart race. "But then again, if I didn't, I would have probably kept on belittling his feelings for you. It was the first time I've heard of his story. I knew that he had feelings for you the moment he stepped foot in our home, but I had never known what he had gone through, and when he had actually started." He took his daughter's hand. "True love is a rare find nowadays, but even rarer is the man who never gives up even though he doesn't know where that love of his will take him. Take good care of him, Chihaya."

Tears started to gather in her eyes. "Otousan… y-you mean…?" She felt her voice break in relief.

Her father wiped the tears which had fallen to her cheeks. "It pains me to give you away now, but you've already grown up into a wonderful woman. This time around, I have full confidence that everything will be alright, and that he will love you much more than I did."

She rushed forward and embraced her father, laughing through her tears. "Thank you. Thank you father. I will take care of him. I promise you that."

Her father patted her hair. "Be a good wife to him, like your mother had been to me. I am happy, thoroughly proud to be your father. You will do well in your life, my dear, I could feel that."

She kissed her father on the cheek as she nodded, more tears flowing from her eyes as they both laughed through their tears.

And from afar, Taichi watched the scene fondly, amber eyes glowing with pure joy for his fiancée.

* * *

Chihaya shook her head from the memories as she grinned to herself in front of the mirror, watching Kaname-chan, her wedding stylist, place a tiara on her head, bedecked with sapphires. It was a gift from her mother-in-law, which actually made her nervous due to the slight weight it added to her head. She didn't want to end up ruining the tiara on her wedding day if her head couldn't contain it.

"It's time Chihaya-chan!"

Chihaya became flustered when she heard Kana-chan call, and she nearly tripped over herself when she stood up, only to have a firm hand grip her arm, and she looked up to see her father smiling down to her.

"Best not to take a trip on your wedding day, Chihaya."

She flushed. "Sorry, dad."

Her father kissed her on the cheek. "Relax. Take a deep breath. Remember, Taichi is waiting for you."

She nodded.

And as the ceremony started, her father held her hand and escorted her down the aisle, her heart beating tremendously fast. Before reaching the altar though, she turned to her father and whispered in his ear:

"I will always be your daughter, 'Tousan."

And as she met her husband-to-be finally, her smile a million-megawatt one, his eyes full of mirth and infinite admiration, she caught her father's eye one last time, and she knew, in that moment, that her father was truly happy for her.

* * *

_**So there you have it.**_

_**I hope you appreciated this fic guys. Then again, you can let me know with reviews. *hint hint*. I've always wanted to write a fic showing Taichi having interaction with Chihaya's father, even I don't know why. Haha. I guess I just wanted to see a father-daughter love in action.**_

_**Can somebody make me a sketch of these two getting married? That's my greatest birthday wish. I'll die a happy woman if I do get one. Pretty please? Oh and since I'm already here as well, I'd like to plug my other fics. If you guys wanted to see these two get mature (Haha. Get it? Mature?) you can check out my profile and see it there. I don't recommend that for kids, though.**_

_**Anyways, I've blabbed long enough. Thanks for reading, and let me know if you loved it! Love you guys!**_


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